Discover the Science of Health
A good night’s rest may literally clear the mind. Using mice, researchers showed for the first time that the space between brain cells may increase during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours. These results suggest a new role for sleep in health and disease. The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the NIH.
NewsScan #64 includes summaries of eight NIDA-funded scientific studies on a variety of topics, including brain imaging of sensation-seeking individuals, the role of glial cells in morphine’s effects in the brain, awareness deficits among marijuana abusers, the effects of two drugs on reducing opioid withdrawal symptoms, the behavioral effects of salvinorin A in non-human primates, drug abuse risk factors for traumatic brain injury survivors, use of marijuana among those with a subtype of testicular cancer, and environmental cues associated with nicotine.
